Jeff Wallach » Courses and Travel

An Even Bigger Easy: The Creek Club

Jeff Wallach — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:08:28 +0000

In an era when golf course architects seem to take great pride in their ability to make our game ever more difficult (thanks, Jack!), and to punish

In an era when golf course architects seem to take great pride in their ability to make our game ever more difficult (thanks, Jack!), and to punish us in increasingly cruel and inventive ways for even slightly mis-hit shots, architect Jim Engh has taken the opposite tact. And golfers should love him for it. I'd give him a hug right now if he was in front of me. Engh has figured out what nobody else in ...

Great Waters Not Just For Great Players (Though It Wouldn’t Hurt)

Jeff Wallach — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:38:57 +0000

There’s at least one moment in everyone’s first round at Reynolds Plantation’s Great Waters Golf Course where you come off a

There's at least one moment in everyone's first round at Reynolds Plantation's Great Waters Golf Course where you come off a hole that just played down to a lakeside green and then tee off away from the lake and by the time you get to the next green you're at the lake again and you wonder: did I forget to take my medication this morning? Such is the nature of Jack Nicklaus's fine work here ...

My Perfect Golf Day (Cheeseburger Included)

Jeff Wallach — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:49:00 +0000

This morning The Golf Road Warriors executed Callaway Hex Black sorties at Reynolds Plantation’s Oconee Golf Course on a cool, atmospheric,

This morning The Golf Road Warriors executed Callaway Hex Black sorties at Reynolds Plantation's Oconee Golf Course on a cool, atmospheric, slightly overcast morning that gave way to a warm, sunny afternoon. Designed by Rees Jones, Oconee is the more buttoned-down, conservative sibling to Tom Fazio's Plantation Course-- though whether that somehow makes Jones and Fazio related I can't really say. I played with fellow warrior Brian McCallen who was fresh off an emergency visit to ...

National Holiday: Fazio’s Masterwork at Reynolds Plantation

Jeff Wallach — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:37:32 +0000

With even the briefest glimpse of a golf course it’s easy tell whether you’re in the hands of a master architect and whether he was

With even the briefest glimpse of a golf course it's easy tell whether you're in the hands of a master architect and whether he was given good or great land and ample artistic license to perform his work. Tom Fazio's The National at Reynolds Plantation checks off all the boxes. In fact, Fazio says of the The National, "I got excited because from the first calls about this course I was told they had lots ...

Landing At, Well, The Landing

Jeff Wallach — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:19:10 +0000

Your cup may runneth over at Bob Cupp’s The Landing Golf Course, at Reynolds Plantation. But before we even talk about the golf, let me

Your cup may runneth over at Bob Cupp's The Landing Golf Course, at Reynolds Plantation. But before we even talk about the golf, let me just point out that the Planatation has put three exclamation points on service!!! Which is to say that when a server or assistant pro or bartender tells y'all to have a good day, they say it as if they actually mean it, which is a welcome respite from the robotic ...

Pre-trip Jitters for Reynolds Plantation

Jeff Wallach — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:33:24 +0000

It’s nearly game day and I’ve just taken a look at the opposition’s line-up. Bob Cupp. Jim Engh. Rees Jones. Jack Nicklaus.

It's nearly game day and I've just taken a look at the opposition's line-up. Bob Cupp. Jim Engh. Rees Jones. Jack Nicklaus. Tom Fazio. Those are the golf course architects I'll be facing off against next week at the renowned Reynolds Plantation golf resort, an hour from Atlanta in Greensboro, Georgia. It's like pitching against the 1927 Yankees. There are any number of ways to plan a sensible strategy: going through my clubs to figure out the best ...

Great Day at Silver Rock

Jeff Wallach — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 21:16:19 +0000

The absolute perfect golf round would combine the camaraderie of a quietly entertaining friend like fellow Golf Road Warrior Jay Stuller with the

The absolute perfect golf round would combine the camaraderie of a quietly entertaining friend like fellow Golf Road Warrior Jay Stuller with the steadying presence of a woman golf pro like Dede Cusimano (whose gorgeously smooth swing made Jay and me look positively vaudevillian in comparison), and the artistic perspective of one of the world’s great painters of golf courses (the charming Graeme Baxter), who just happens to be Scottish and speaks with a lilt ...

PGA West Stadium Course: Where Dreams of Breaking 80 Go To Die

Jeff Wallach — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:49:48 +0000

If you’re the kind of golfer who’s lucky enough to play two rounds each week, it would take you more than a year to test-drive every course in

If you’re the kind of golfer who’s lucky enough to play two rounds each week, it would take you more than a year to test-drive every course in the Palm Springs area. Sure you can also ride the aerial tram, hike the Indian Canyons, or shop along chi-chi El Paseo. But why would you, when more than 1oo golf courses of every mood, demeanor, style, and challenge await behind little stone gates and cute guard ...

AUR Shirt Wins Two More Matches as Golf Road Warriors Take On Shadow Ridge and Terra Lago

Jeff Wallach — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 01:33:20 +0000

Well, the Callaway RAZR X clubs didn’t hurt, either. The RAZR Fit driver hit a LOT of fairways. The Jaws wedges led the charge on a lot

Well, the Callaway RAZR X clubs didn't hurt, either. The RAZR Fit driver hit a LOT of fairways. The Jaws wedges led the charge on a lot of up-and-downs from around the greens. But the shirts seem unbeatable. Today saw the Golf Road Warriors take on Shadow Ridge Golf Club in the morning, and the North Course at Terra Lago in the afternoon (actually, into the evening, as we finished the eighteenth hole in ...

The Mountain Course at La Quinta: Because It’s There

Jeff Wallach — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 05:58:58 +0000

There really is no way to get closer to the Santa Rosa Mountains– unless you are on belay– than playing Pete Dye’s Mountain

There really is no way to get closer to the Santa Rosa Mountains-- unless you are on belay-- than playing Pete Dye's Mountain Course at La Quinta Resort. From the moment you leave the clubhouse and look off across vast green lawns framed by elegant palms, your eyes are drawn beyond to jagged rocky peaks sawing a red line against the distant blue sky. The Golf Road Warriors played the course this morning from 6,300 yards-- yards ...

Golf Road Warriors Put the Class in The Classic Club

Jeff Wallach — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:41:49 +0000

A big day at The Classic Club– possibly, with the exception of Ireland’s Tralee, the best Arnold Palmer-designed golf course ever

A big day at The Classic Club-- possibly, with the exception of Ireland's Tralee, the best Arnold Palmer-designed golf course ever created. While the first hole was unremarkable in every way and established a low expectation, by the fourth any cogent golfer would stop in his own spike marks and think: there's a LOT of golf course here. Not just beautiful and challenging, but a course that reaches that deeper level of quality inherent in ...

Golf Road Warriors Warm Up

Jeff Wallach — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:17:20 +0000

There’s little better than getting on a plane in cold, rainy Portland, Oregon in the morning (after a proper dose of Peet’s coffee) and

There's little better than getting on a plane in cold, rainy Portland, Oregon in the morning (after a proper dose of Peet's coffee) and teeing off on a golf course in Palm Springs three hours later beneath sunny skies in 75-degree temperatures. Well, okay, maybe one thing that's better is winning your nine-hole match 5 and 4 and then closing out the press on the final hole of the day as the desert begins cooling ...

Travel Writers’ Dirty Little Secret (one in a long series!)

Jeff Wallach — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:47:51 +0000

Yep, even when we’re working on a guidebook we look at, well, guidebooks. Not that we don’t also do our own research and always hope

Yep, even when we're working on a guidebook we look at, well, guidebooks. Not that we don't also do our own research and always hope to find great unheralded attractions or an undiscovered hiking trail or secret new bars or restaurants that aren't in the book and only known to furtive locals. But let's face it; why start from scratch when someone at least half competent has already made at least a rough map of ...

Tahoe’s Martis Camp: Camp Grows Up (Even if you Haven’t)

Jeff Wallach — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:52:11 +0000

As someone who enjoyed years of fun at summer camp as a kid, the private community of Martis Camp, just a couple of mountain peaks over from Lake

As someone who enjoyed years of fun at summer camp as a kid, the private community of Martis Camp, just a couple of mountain peaks over from Lake Tahoe, is aptly named. This is exactly the camp I would have designed for myself as an adult who has never lost my interest in playing as many sports and games as possible in a single day, with my family and close friends, in a terrifically beautiful ...

Last Warrior Standing

Jeff Wallach — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:49:17 +0000

This in the parking lot of We Ko Pa Golf Club, one of the best courses we played on the recent Golf Road Warriors (GRW) trip to Scottsdale.

This in the parking lot of We Ko Pa Golf Club, one of the best courses we played on the recent Golf Road Warriors (GRW) trip to Scottsdale. I'm posing with my 28-inch T-Pro Bold Expandable Rollaboard, which is ready for action as I head for Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport directly from the golf course parking lot. We Ko Pa was a perfect last hurrah as Peter Kessler and GRW videographer Jamie McWilliams joined me on ...

From The Boulders to Barbecue in Seven Miles

Jeff Wallach — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:08:18 +0000

Photo by John and Jeannine Henebry Is this a great country, or what? In the span of one long day today the Golf Road Warriors enjoyed

Photo by John and Jeannine Henebry Is this a great country, or what? In the span of one long day today the Golf Road Warriors enjoyed the municipal magnificence of the McDowell Mountain Ranch Golf Club early in the desert morning chill with the sun just coming up over the sagauro-studded peaks, an afternoon round amidst the refinded desert finery of The Boulders Resort, and finished the evening watching amateur bull riding at the Buffalo Chip ...

Warm Greeting at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale

Jeff Wallach — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:10:30 +0000

The Golf Road Warriors have begun gathering in the desert from various points on the compass. Day starts early tomorrow with massages at the Four

The Golf Road Warriors have begun gathering in the desert from various points on the compass. Day starts early tomorrow with massages at the Four Seasons spa to get golf ready, as someone once put it. Then off to Troon North to test our mettle on the famous monument course. Here's a quick view of a few things that awaited the warriors upon arrival . . . ...

Like The Bat Cave For Golf Writers

Jeff Wallach — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:45:35 +0000

In the depths of the gear closet, secreted underground in an undisclosed Portland location, I must decide upon what gear to take on the Golf Road

In the depths of the gear closet, secreted underground in an undisclosed Portland location, I must decide upon what gear to take on the Golf Road Warriors trip to Scottsdale, departing tomorrow (which reminds me-- gotta go check in for my flight)! I start with golf shoes (two pair, one white, one black); golf towel (I'm going with a brand new Sunriver towel in a rich blue that matches my golf bag); a dozen golf balls ...

How I Would Spend $10,000 on Golf . . .

Jeff Wallach — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:46:32 +0000

One word: Scottsdale. Which the Robb Report once called the best place to live in the US for golf. I’ll fly business class and begin my trip

One word: Scottsdale. Which the Robb Report once called the best place to live in the US for golf. I’ll fly business class and begin my trip with a warm-up round on the Kierland Golf Club just because it’s fun, then make my way to a Kiva suite (outdoor shower, fireplace, plunge pool) at the Four Seasons Resort, where I’ll walk the two terrific Troon North courses at least twice or until I’m out of golf ...

The Boulders Still Awesome After 12 Million Years

Jeff Wallach — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:54:11 +0000

A lot of resorts– particularly those built back in the boom of the 1980s– have grown tired enough to be forced into retirement,

A lot of resorts-- particularly those built back in the boom of the 1980s-- have grown tired enough to be forced into retirement, especially with all the great new boutique properties popping up full of eco-engineering, flat-screens t.v.s as thin as the 600-thread cotton sheets, and animatronic deer walking past your room on cue (okay, I'm making that up). Which is what makes a visit to The Boulders Resort, north of Scottsdale, so refreshing (I mean, ...

Best Golf Deal in the Great State of Oregon

Jeff Wallach — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:55:45 +0000

During the same month that Oregon, my home state, has garnered the honor of being home to the #1 golf resort in the US (according to the recent

During the same month that Oregon, my home state, has garnered the honor of being home to the #1 golf resort in the US (according to the recent listing in Golf Digest that would be Bandon Dunes), there's other good news for Beaver State golfers as well (though being the Beaver State, in the first place, isn't such good news). The Oregon Golf Association (OGA) just announced a spanking new deal called the ExploreOregonGolf VIP ...

Playing With Matches at La Costa

Jeff Wallach — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:53:13 +0000

In honor of an upcoming visit to the renowned La Costa Resort, outside San Diego, to have a look at the newly-renovated property, I felt nostalgic enough to post this La Costa story written several years ago. The names have not been changed to protect anyone. And I'm still waiting for my dollar. All photos are post-renovation. I'll write an update of my more recent visit in the next few weeks. Even if you watched this year’s ...

My Favorite Course in the UK

Jeff Wallach — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:37:05 +0000

The farther I can get from the obvious trophy courses when visiting Scotland, the more authentic my visits always prove to be (and the less

The farther I can get from the obvious trophy courses when visiting Scotland, the more authentic my visits always prove to be (and the less likely it will take more than 3.5 hours to play). I hesitate to mention 120-year-old Brora Golf Club in northern Scotland, and only do so because you are unlikely to venture 52 miles north of Inverness, past Dornoch, to play a 6,156-yard course that isn’t particularly famous. But Brora is the ...

Quick Hits from the Irish Open Pro-am

Jeff Wallach — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:57:48 +0000

Well, it wasn’t pretty out there for me today, although it sure was pretty– the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club provided a

Well, it wasn't pretty out there for me today, although it sure was pretty-- the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club provided a meticulously maintained venue for the pro am for the Irish Open this morning. We teed off at 8:25 on the eleventh hole and faced daunting challenges early, as the course played long and wet and I played like I was underwater. By the time we'd warmed up fans began to gather, and I was ...

At Ballybunion, The Old is New Again

Jeff Wallach — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:08:01 +0000

The last time I played Ballybunion’s Old Course– one of the world’s premier links courses– rain was falling so hard I

The last time I played Ballybunion's Old Course-- one of the world's premier links courses-- rain was falling so hard I barely looked out from under my rain hat. Today our caddie rued the suntan he'd gotten on a day that must have hit 75 without a cloud in the sky. We started on possibly one of the best opening holes in golf-- a graveyard protects the right side, quite literally meaning death for slicers. To ...

Carnivorous Carne Golf Links

Jeff Wallach — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:04:30 +0000

Welcome to the modern era, where—armed with a TEP wifi device and a Canon G11 camera) I can post several stories onto the golf road

Welcome to the modern era, where—armed with a TEP wifi device and a Canon G11 camera) I can post several stories onto the golf road warriors website from the backseat of our VW Transporter while Peter Kessler snores beside me in the back seat and Hal Phillips and Tom Harack argue about directions up front. We’re on our way from the outpost of Carne Golf Links via a five hour drive to Killarney, where we’ll meet ...

Adrian Carr, Senior Caddie at Ballybunion

Jeff Wallach — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:14:01 +0000

Hear a quick comparison between Ballybunion’s Old and Cashen golf courses from someone who knows. And he’s a great reader of greens,

Hear a quick comparison between Ballybunion's Old and Cashen golf courses from someone who knows. And he's a great reader of greens, as well! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpGRi_MBpl4 ...

The Fabulous Enniscrone Golf Club Makes My Personal Top Ten List

Jeff Wallach — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 06:18:44 +0000

After midnight on day four, cool and crisp with salt on the light breeze here at the modern and luxurious Diamond Coast Hotel just up the

After midnight on day four, cool and crisp with salt on the light breeze here at the modern and luxurious Diamond Coast Hotel just up the road from Enniscrone Golf Club. The day began many hours ago with a trip to Letterkenny General Hospital to retrieve ailing golf road warrior Peter Kessler. After a few hours of driving we reached the Enniscrone golf links early—nearly unheard of for the warriors—just in time for our 4:20 tee ...

Donegal Golf Club: The Purest of Inland Links Golf

Jeff Wallach — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 11:58:01 +0000

Seeing how the golf holes at Donegal sit so contentedly in the low dunes beside a round bay you’ll think they’ve been tramped

Seeing how the golf holes at Donegal sit so contentedly in the low dunes beside a round bay you'll think they've been tramped and played upon for centuries. But these sublime links were actually designed with the help of Eddie Hackett in the 1970s, proving that you don't have to be old to be great. Donegal has the wide, open, inviting feel of the great Panmure in Scotland, with surrounding pines and a feel somewhere ...

Meet The Irish Van (Volkswagen, not Morrison)

Jeff Wallach — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 08:10:28 +0000

If you’ve taken any kind of road trip you know that by day two or three it will already look like a plane crash in the back seat. Just try

If you've taken any kind of road trip you know that by day two or three it will already look like a plane crash in the back seat. Just try to find your wallet amid the soda cans and candy and chip wrappers, the empty boxes of golf balls, and club covers, shoe bags, computer cases, day packs, GPS devices, road maps, assorted bandages and braces, hats, and more. Here's a quick tour of the Golf ...

Quick Intro to the Great Narin & Portnoo

Jeff Wallach — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 23:12:51 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBtzOMHLmds ...

Ballyliffin Superintendent Andy Robertson

Jeff Wallach — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 23:07:07 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gfg8yHrSQ4 ...

Road Warriors Become Road Weary

Jeff Wallach — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 22:46:35 +0000

Nearly eleven in the evening here at Rosapenna in northern Ireland and the sun is just setting over the golf course and the round bay beyond my

Nearly eleven in the evening here at Rosapenna in northern Ireland and the sun is just setting over the golf course and the round bay beyond my window at the Rosapenna Hotel. We've just finished a fabulous four-course meal in the dining room, met some nice locals at the next table who were eager to trade golfing tales, and now, finally, it's time to get to work! A long day for the warriors began in Ballyliffin ...

Broadcaster Peter Kessler Tees Off on Ballyliffin Golf Links

Jeff Wallach — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 22:03:20 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSYdwV1m-aw ...

Day One Travel Mayhem Gives Way to Evening Round at Ballyliffin

Jeff Wallach — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:39:37 +0000

After many hours of travel from many compass points the Golf Road Warriors met this morning at Dublin airport, threw all manner of baggage into a

After many hours of travel from many compass points the Golf Road Warriors met this morning at Dublin airport, threw all manner of baggage into a seven-person VW van and hit the road north-- WAAAY north, four hours in the car to Ballyliffin Golf Links, at the very top of the island. While rain fell in Dublin the skies cleaved open as we headed for golf. A quick stop in a local mini-mart revealed what ...

A Little Preview to Frighten the Golf Balls

Jeff Wallach — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 22:49:09 +0000

Here’s where the Golf Road Warriors are headed next week. Right now I’m headed to the golf shop to buy a couple of boxes of new

Here's where the Golf Road Warriors are headed next week. Right now I'm headed to the golf shop to buy a couple of boxes of new Pro-V1s. Ireland's Carne Golf Links, pictured above, may well be their final resting place. The photo is by John and Jeannine Henebry, the best golf course photographers in the world. See more of their work at theAposition.com. And follow the Golf Road Warriors at GolfRoadWarriors.com. ...

Ballyliffin May Never Be the Same . . .

Jeff Wallach — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:41:45 +0000

The A Position.com’s Golf Road Warriors– Jeff Wallach, Hal Phillips, Tom Harack, and Peter Kessler– converge on Dublin on Tuesday

The A Position.com's Golf Road Warriors-- Jeff Wallach, Hal Phillips, Tom Harack, and Peter Kessler-- converge on Dublin on Tuesday July 21 and head straight to Ballyliffin. Sure it's peaceful in this gorgeous photo-- the green nestled among revetted bunkers and the blue sea beyond. But not for long . . . ...

Brora Golf Club: My Favorite Course in Baaa-ritain

Jeff Wallach — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:39:11 +0000

The farther I can get from the obvious trophy courses when visiting Scotland, the more authentic my visits always prove to be (and the less

My Worst Golf Travel Experience

Jeff Wallach — Fri, 27 May 2011 23:47:49 +0000

On a golf trip to Turkey’s terrific Belek region I was unfortunate to be traveling with the quintessential “ugly American.” If our hosts

On a golf trip to Turkey’s terrific Belek region I was unfortunate to be traveling with the quintessential “ugly American.” If our hosts took us to the famous fish restaurant, she was in the mood for meat and asked for it. The next day, when we were entertained at the famous kabob restaurant, she wondered if they didn’t have any fish. If someone else’s room was higher than hers in the hotel she complained to the ...

Elkhorn Valley, Undiscovered Oregon Golf Treasure

Jeff Wallach — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 03:30:47 +0000

Oregon isn’t as famous for mountain golf as some western states but that’s no reason to miss Elkhorn Valley Golf Course, a quiet symphony of

Oregon isn’t as famous for mountain golf as some western states but that’s no reason to miss Elkhorn Valley Golf Course, a quiet symphony of fine holes nestled in the foothills of the Cascades. The original nine was designed and built over eleven years (it opened in 1976) as a labor of love by Don Cutler, whose children ran the place for many years and who is buried just behind one of the greens. The ...

Oregon Golf: Going Off-Trail to Wildhorse Resort

Jeff Wallach — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 23:18:12 +0000

In the high desert east of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains, ride on toward the Native American owned Wildhorse Resort and Casino, located just

In the high desert east of Oregon's Cascade Mountains, ride on toward the Native American owned Wildhorse Resort and Casino, located just outside Pendleton. Wildhorse isn’t a gamble at all: lousy poker players will actually make money by paying the low greens fees on the golf course rather than betting their two pair against three-of-a-kind in the poker room. The underrated and largely unknown track stretches to 7,112 at the base of the Blue Mountains. ...

Travel Tip #1: Act Like a Local

Jeff Wallach — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:45:10 +0000

Act like a local. If you’re in a country where the men cover their legs at all times, put on a pair of pants and leave the shorts in your

Act like a local. If you’re in a country where the men cover their legs at all times, put on a pair of pants and leave the shorts in your suitcase. Buy a pair of shoes in a local store—and not the local Nike store. Trade the Frappuccino for a mango lassi. Remove your hat in the clubhouse and when you shake hands after a match. Take an afternoon siesta rather than rolling your eyes ...

Please Bogey This Hole

Jeff Wallach — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 22:33:15 +0000

Several years ago, I was playing Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s Royal Westmoreland Golf Course in Barbados with the architect himself. On one hole,

Several years ago, I was playing Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s Royal Westmoreland Golf Course in Barbados with the architect himself. On one hole, Jones faced an impossible sidehill putt. After studying the slick, sloping green from various angles, and frowning his displeasure, he looked up from his ball and said, “I designed it, so I’ll have to play it.” I thought of this recently while playing the eleventh hole at the Revere at Anthem Golf Course, ...

Golf Courses of Study: Great Resorts That Will Teach You a Lesson

Jeff Wallach — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:33:29 +0000

One thing I never expected to learn at golf school was how to really wind up and throw my golf clubs. But at Fred Shoemaker’s School for

One thing I never expected to learn at golf school was how to really wind up and throw my golf clubs. But at Fred Shoemaker’s School for Extraordinary Golf we not only practiced flinging seven irons, but Fred also videotaped our efforts, and played the videos back to us right after playing videos of our group of students hitting actual golf shots with the same clubs. Our room full of intermediate and advanced students was ...

World’s Hottest Golf Resort?

Jeff Wallach — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 06:25:49 +0000

Hot like a Bond girl, The Grove is a slinky, provocative five-star resort 30 minutes outside London. As you cavort through the black-velvet-lined

Hot like a Bond girl, The Grove is a slinky, provocative five-star resort 30 minutes outside London. As you cavort through the black-velvet-lined hallways of the 19th-century manor house you can’t help thinking about a quick tryst behind the pettable curtains. Then you get to your room, which might feature surprises from a fireplace and piano to a red day-bed (beckoning like a casting couch) and a four-poster king crowned with ostrich feathers—perfect for tying ...

Northern Lights: Ten Great Courses to Play During the Month of the Summer Solstice

Jeff Wallach — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:20:52 +0000

What better time to reminisce about long summer days than in the darkest depths of winter? As we approach the shortest day of the year in the

What better time to reminisce about long summer days than in the darkest depths of winter? As we approach the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, let's think forward to the other side, when there's nothing quite like heading out after dinner in late June for a cool, leisurely 18 holes (as our neighbors to the south may be enjoying right now). Or 36 holes if you're playing some of our favorite northern ...

Speyside Golf Whisky Trail Marks Convergence of World’s Greatest Inventions

Jeff Wallach — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:05:59 +0000

In October, my friend David Whyte– the renowned Scottish golf journalist– picked me up in Glasgow for a quick tour of the Speyside Golf

In October, my friend David Whyte-- the renowned Scottish golf journalist-- picked me up in Glasgow for a quick tour of the Speyside Golf Whisky Trail in central Scotland. Over five days we visited some of the best little-known golf courses in that golf-rich nation (Moray, Forres, etc), toured several whisky distilleries including Benromach (the smallest working distillery in Speyside) and The Glenlivet (with roots going back nearly 200 years), and stayed in a series ...

Devils, Giants, and Beasts: Tremblant Golf

Jeff Wallach — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 20:28:42 +0000

Most people don’t know that the real reason the province of Quebec wants to secede from the rest of Canada is to protect its golf courses.

Most people don’t know that the real reason the province of Quebec wants to secede from the rest of Canada is to protect its golf courses. Perhaps I’m missing some of the political intrigue pitting French speakers against the rest of the nation, but Quebec’s golf destinations are worth trying to keep under wraps. While Montreal and Quebec City are the most European metropoli on the North American continent, visitors sometimes tire of charming, narrow ...

Golfers Eat Up Turkey!

Jeff Wallach — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:28:59 +0000

Above: Maintenance Crew at Perge, photo by Jeff Wallach. All other photos by David Whyte. While it hasn’t blipped onto the radar of most

Above: Maintenance Crew at Perge, photo by Jeff Wallach. All other photos by David Whyte. While it hasn't blipped onto the radar of most North American golfers yet, Turkey-- the gorgeous, culture-rich nation, not the delicious Thanksgiving day feast-- is well-known to northern Europeans looking for a warm, upscale golf destination at a great price. On a recent trip to Belek, located on the southern Mediterranean Coast, one of my favorite stops was the Gloria Serenity Resort ...

The Full Monty: The Montgomerie Course at Papillon Golf Club, Belek, Turkey

Jeff Wallach — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 19:28:02 +0000

The moment that your backswing is interrupted by the tinny, electrically amplified song of the Muslim call to prayer, you’ll know you’re not

The moment that your backswing is interrupted by the tinny, electrically amplified song of the Muslim call to prayer, you’ll know you’re not golfing at Pinehurst any more. Although it doesn’t register yet as a golf destination for most Americans, Turkey—particularly the town of Belek, on the Mediterranean Coast—has become the new “it” place for Northern Europeans looking for a combination of five-star hotels and great golf variety at reasonable prices. More great reasons for a ...